Compare Epilepsy Travel Insurance

Author: Tommy Lloyd, Managing Director

Tommy has over 15 years experience within the insurance industry, and his primary focus is helping travellers find the right cover for their medical conditions.

Last updated: 28th Oct 2024 Originally posted: 1st Sep 2022

Why do you need travel insurance for epilepsy?

You may think that because you have epilepsy, you’ll find it difficult to get travel insurance to cover you, but don’t worry because we’re here to help. When you’re looking for travel insurance for an upcoming trip, it’s likely that you’ll need to tell your travel insurance provider about your epilepsy alongside any other medical conditions.

A travel insurance policy that provides specific cover for epilepsy takes away any worry, leaving you confident in the knowledge you’ll be protected should anything happen. What’s more, we’re here to help you find the right cover for you and as simply as possible, comparing prices from over 30 leading travel insurance providers all in one place.

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What does epilepsy travel insurance typically cover?

Holiday insurance for someone with epilepsy varies across the different specialist epilepsy travel insurance providers - but in the main, most policies will include cover for the following for people with epilepsy:

Emergency medical expenses and repatriation - if you’re hospitalised, or even need to be brought back to the UK for treatment as a result of your epilepsy.
Lost, stolen, or damaged personal belongings - this could include any medication that you’re taking with you to treat your epilepsy.
Cancellation and curtailment - if you suddenly decide to cancel your trip or end up cutting it short.
Travel delay - if your flight is delayed, you may be covered for your additional expenses.
Personal liability - if you cause accidental damage to another person or someone else’s property - cover is provided.

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How to get travel insurance for someone with epilepsy

If you’ve seen a medical professional (such as a GP, or even a hospital trip) or have taken any medication for your condition (including repeat prescriptions) within the last 2 years, then you will need to declare that you live with epilepsy.

To get a better understanding of your condition and make sure we help you find the right travel insurance, we’ll ask you a number of simple questions about your epilepsy. This will help us determine the cover you’ll need - and create a list of quotes from only the most relevant specialist epilepsy travel insurance providers.

For example, some of the questions you may be asked are:

If awake, do you normally lose consciousness during a seizure?
How many seizures causing loss of consciousness have you had in the last 6 months?
How many unplanned hospital admissions have you had for epilepsy/seizures in the last 12 months?
How many different medicines do you take for your epilepsy/seizures?

The process is really simple, and you’ll complete it in no time.

Top tips for travelling if you have epilepsy

Dr Sarah Jarvis is the Clinical Director of the Patient Platform, an active medical writer, broadcaster, and the resident doctor for BBC Radio 2.

With a few simple precautions and a little advance planning, you can keep the risk of seizures to a minimum and maximise the chance of coming back with nothing but happy memories.

Many epilepsy medications are controlled drugs, which means there may be special regulations covering when or whether you can take them with you. Taking some controlled drugs into certain countries is illegal, regardless of the reason. Before you book, you'll need to check the list on the website of the relevant foreign embassy in the UK to make sure you can travel with your medication. Our article on carrying medication abroad has all the details of what you need to do.
Make sure you have the necessary paperwork. Even if you don't use controlled drugs, you will probably need a letter and/or a copy of your repeat prescription. Keep your medication in its original packaging with your name on the label.
Remember that drugs may have different names in different countries. If you take branded medication (e.g. Epilim) ask your pharmacist for the details of the generic drug name too (in this case, Sodium valproate). This will help just in case you do need to access medical help or medication abroad.
Think about time zones. Missing or delaying your regular medication could increase the risk of a seizure. If you're travelling across time zones, work out how you need to adjust your medication timing gradually: your pharmacist can help if you're in doubt.
Check out travel times. Lack of sleep can increase your risk of having a seizure. This could be an issue if your travel involves early starts or late arrivals, or if you're travelling across time zones and could suffer jet lag.

You can find out more in my full guide.

Top Tips for Travelling with Epilepsy

Compare quotes from specialist epilepsy travel insurance providers

Our online quote comparison tool enables you to compare cover across a range of epilepsy travel insurance providers in minutes.

Once you’ve told us where you’re going and for how long - you can let us know about your pre-existing health conditions and declare your epilepsy. When you’ve answered the questions in relation to your medical history, we’ll show you with a list of quotes to compare from.

We work with over 30 specialist medical travel insurance providers - so you certainly won’t be short of choice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What pre-existing medical conditions do I need to tell you about?

We'll ask you a series of questions about the medical history for you and any travellers on your quote. If you answer yes to any of these, you will need to tell us more about that condition. This could be a condition that a traveller has now or has had in the past. This makes it easy to know what you need to disclose.

If you are not sure what conditions you need to declare, we have online support available to help you 24/7!

How do I tell you about any pre-existing conditions?

It’s easy to tell us about your medical conditions! After you've provided your trip details and answered some medical history questions, you can add your pre-existing conditions, one by one, for each traveller on your policy. You'll only need to enter your details once; it's all online, and there's no need to call or provide details of your conditions in writing.

Am I covered for pre-existing medical conditions I tell you about?

Once you've declared all your relevant pre-existing medical conditions, we'll only show you quotes that cover the conditions you have told us about.

Can I exclude my pre-existing medical conditions from the cover?

No, we are unable to provide cover that excludes any of your pre-existing medical conditions.

Am I covered if I need to cancel my policy?

Nearly all insurance policies will come with cancellation cover included. Cancellation cover will start as soon as you buy your single trip policy, or your policy start date for an annual trip (so you may want to start this cover as soon as possible). Cancellation cover will help you with the cost of your trip, including flights, accommodation and, in some cases pre-paid excursions. The cover limits will be the amount per person.

* Price is based on 1 traveller aged 61, who has declared Epilepsy and is travelling to France for 7 nights. The price is correct as of October 2024. Prices may vary according to your individual requirements.

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Don't just take our word for it...

If we're unable to help you find cover for a pre-existing medical condition, the Money Helper Directory has listings of companies that may be able to assist you. Further details can be found on their website.

Epilepsy Travel Insurance

Compare cover from as little as £11.09*